The Regards de Provence Museum is located in this area of the Phocean capital, which has become an artistic and cultural meeting place since 2013. It is situated right next to the MUCEM, housed in the former building of the sanitary station. A film on loop recalls the time when immigrants had to undergo medical and sanitary checks.
We are behind Fort Saint Jean, Saint Laurent Church, and the two Major Cathedrals, with the maritime station completing the scenery. The Regards de Provence Museum is currently hosting an exhibition on the artists of Montmartre, particularly those of the Bateau Lavoir.
One might be surprised by such a subject in Marseille. To understand its theme, you must look beyond the title and be able to read and see more. By discovering the honored artists, you realize the relevance of this exhibition.
They all have a close or distant connection to the Mediterranean, whether through their origin or their love for its shores, the transparent light of the air, or its climate. With this definition in mind, it becomes clear that there are many who meet these criteria.
This is the life of the Bateau Lavoir, where artists from Picasso to Braque and Dufy set their easels and brushes. This exhibition is complemented by another whose theme involves the Women in Provence and the Mediterranean.
As the large bay windows offer glimpses of the Frioul Islands, the sunlit shimmering sea, the now-slumbering port, Fort Saint Jean, the Villa Méditerranée, and the MUCEM, we continue our visit where artists were inspired by women, who are truly the future of mankind, with Dali being somewhat of a beacon among the exhibited works. An upcoming exhibition will focus on the theme: Eternal Marseille, its port, the calanques, and L’Estaque.
An exciting program not to be missed. We must not forget the original destination of these places. Art and poetry, painting, sculpture, in a word, beauty, have followed the misery and tragedy of the immigrants who passed through here.
The film offers, after the pleasure of beauty, the emotion of the tragic human beings who were dehumanized.
Thierry Jan
